Exercise apparatus with various paths of motion

ABSTRACT

An exercise apparatus has a frame, a first motion provider to provide a first path of motion, a second motion provider to provide a second path of motion, two connection members pivoted on the first motion provider and on the second motion provider respectively, and two fixing member. The fixing members are fitted to the connection members respectively to be moved between first positions, in which the fixing members are fitted to both of the connection members and the first motion provider, and second positions, in which the fixing members are fitted to both of the connection members and the second motion provider. The connection members move along a third path of motion while the fixing members are moved to the first positions and the connection members move along a fourth path of motion while the fixing members are moved to the second position.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates generally to an exercise equipment, and more particularly to an exercise apparatus, which has different paths of motion for exercise.

2. Description of the Related Art

Conventional exercise apparatuses provide a predetermined path of motion for exercise, such as the stepper provides an up-and-down reciprocating motion, the bike provides a circular motion, the air walker provides a leveling reciprocating motion and the elliptical trainer provides an elliptical motion.

The conventional exercise apparatuses only provide a single path of motion. There are several exercise apparatuses, which can adjust the path of motion. Such adjustment still bases on the original path of motion that the exercise apparatus has. For example, some air walker can adjust the distance and slope of the path of motion, but basically it still is a leveling reciprocating motion, some elliptical trainer can adjust the aspect of the ellipse of the motion, but it still is an elliptical motion.

The exercise apparatus with constant exercise path bores the users, some of them refuse to use it after several times of exercise on it.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The primary objective of the present invention is to provide an exercise apparatus, which has various paths of motion for exchange.

According to the objective of the present invention, an exercise apparatus comprising a frame, a first motion provider mounted on the frame to provide a first path of motion, a second motion provider mounted on the frame to provide a second path of motion, a connection member pivoted on the first motion provider and on the second motion provider respectively, and a fixing member. The fixing member is provided for fixing the connection member to the first motion provider, in which the connection member still is pivoted on the second motion provider and for fixing the connection member to the second motion provider, in which the connection member is still pivoted on the first motion provider. The exercise apparatus of the present invention have two difference paths of motion for exercise while the fixing member is manipulative to switch.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a first preferred embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a front view of the first preferred embodiment of the present invention, showing the exercise apparatus providing a linear path of motion;

FIG. 3 is a front view of the first preferred embodiment of the present invention, showing the exercise apparatus providing an elliptical path of motion;

FIG. 4 is a front view of a second preferred embodiment of the present invention, showing the exercise apparatus providing a linear path of motion;

FIG. 5 is a front view of the second preferred embodiment of the present invention, showing the exercise apparatus providing an elliptical path of motion.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

As shown in FIG. 1, an exercise apparatus 1 of the first preferred embodiment of the present invention comprises:

A frame 10 has a leveling bar 12 and an upright bar 14. Two stands 16 are fixed to a bottom of the leveling bar 12 to make the frame standing on the ground. The leveling bar 12 further is provided with two sub-frame 18 and 20 and a reinforced frame 22 at a rear section thereof. The reinforced frame 22 connects the sub-frame 18 and 20 and the leveling bar 12. The upright bar 14 is provided with two fixed handles 24.

A first motion provider 26, which provides a first path of motion, has two sets of parallelogram linkages mechanisms, each of which is consisted of a first, a second, a third and a fourth linkages 261, 262, 263 and 264. The first linkages 261 are parts of the upright bar 14 of the frame 10. The second and the fourth linkages 262 and 264 are pivoted on the first and the third linkages 261 and 263. The third linkages 263 are moved along a curved linear path of motion (the first path of motion) relative to the frame 10.

Two movable handles 28 are connected to the fourth linkages 264 of the first motion provider 26. In the present preferred embodiment, the movable handles 28 are parts of the fourth linkages 264 respectively.

A second motion provider 30, which provides a second path of motion, has a flywheel 32, an idle wheel 34, a belt 36 and two cranks 38. The crank 38 is consisted of a driven wheel 40 and a rod 42 pivoted on the driven wheel 40 at where distal to a center thereof. The flywheel 32 and the driven wheel 40 are provided on the sub-frames 18 and 20 for rotation and the belt 36 runs on the flywheel 32 and the driven wheel 40. In other words, the second motion provider 30 provides a circular path of motion. A housing (not shown) is mounted on the frame 10 to shield the second motion provider 30.

Two connection members 44 each have four posts 48 on a top thereof and a pedal 46 on tops of the posts 48.

Two first jointers 50 pivot ends of the connection members 44 on the third linkages 263 of the first motion provider 26 respectively. Two second jointers 52 pivot ends of the connection members 44 on the rods 42 of the cranks 38 of the second motion provider 30 respectively. In the present preferred embodiment of the present invention, the jointers 50 and 52 are hinges.

Two fixing members 54, which are tubular members, are fitted to the connection members 44 respectively. The fixing members 54 each have four elongated gaps 56 on tops thereof and the posts 48 travel therethrough to have the pedals 46 above the fixing members 54. The fixing members 54 are manipulative to move along the connection members 44 respectively between a first position and a second position respectively.

As shown in FIG. 2, while the fixing members 54 are moved to the first positions, the fixing members 54 have portions crossing the first jointers 50 and fitted to the third linkages 263 of the first motion provider 26 and the second jointers 52 are exposed. In this condition, the first jointers 50 loose the function of pivot and the second jointers 52 are still working. The third linkages 263 of the first motion provider 26 and the connection members 44 become a rigid body to move together. While user stands on the pedals 46 and tries to move it, the pedals 46 move along a third path of motion P1, which is a curved linear path of motion, by the coaction of the first motion provider 26 and the second motion provider 30.

As shown in FIG. 3, while the fixing members 54 are moved to the second positions, the fixing members 54 have portions crossing the second jointers 52 and fitted to the rod 42 of the crank 38 of the second motion provider 30 and the first jointers 50 are exposed. In this condition, the second jointers 52 loose the function of pivot and the first jointers 50 are still working. The rod 42 of the crank 38 of the second motion provider 30 and the connection members 44 become a rigid body to move together. While user stands on the pedals 46 and tries to move it, the pedals 46 move along a fourth path of motion P2, which is an elliptical path of motion, by the coaction of the first motion provider 26 and the second motion provider 30.

As shown in FIG. 4 and FIG. 5, an exercise apparatus 2 of the second preferred embodiment of the present invention, which is similar to the exercise apparatus 1 of the first preferred embodiment, has a frame 60, a first motion provider (the parallelogram linkages mechanisms) 62, a second motion provider 64 having a flywheel 641 and two crank 642, two connection members 68, two first jointers 68, two second jointer 70 and two fixing members 72. The connection members 68 are pivoted on the first motion provider 62 and the second motion provider 64 via the jointers 68 and 70. The first motion provider 62 has third linkages 623 with a resting portion 74 under the connection members 68 respectively. The fixing members 72 are manipulative to move along the connection members 68 respectively between a fist position, in which the fixing members 72 are located on the connection members 68 to expose the second jointer 70, and a second position, in which the fixing members 72 have portions crossing the second jointer 70 and fitted to the cranks 642.

While the fixing members 72 are moved to the second positions, the exercise apparatus 2 works as same as the exercise apparatus 1 of the first preferred embodiment, which the connection members 68 move along an elliptical path of motion P2. While the fixing members 72 are moved to the first positions, the connection members 68 rest on the resting portions 74 of the third linkages 623 by the weight of user who stands on it. In this condition, the second jointers 70 loose the function of pivot because of the weight of user, such that the connection members 68 move along a curved linear path of motion P1.

In practice, there are various aspects of the fixing member to selectively fix the connection member and the first and second motion providers, such as one can provide pins, clips or other equivalent devices to secure the jointers directly and one also can provide two fixing member for each connection member. 

1. An exercise apparatus, comprising: a frame; a first motion provider mounted on the frame to provide a first path of motion; a second motion provider mounted on the frame to provide a second path of motion; a connection member pivoted on the first motion provider and on the second motion provider respectively, and a fixing member moved between a first position, in which the fixing member fixes the connection member to the first motion provider and the connection member is still pivoted on the second motion provider, and a second position, in which the fixing member fixes the connection member to the second motion provider and the connection member is still pivoted on the first motion provider; wherein the connection member moves along a third path of motion while the fixing member is moved to the first position and the connection member moves along a fourth path of motion while the fixing member is moved to the second position.
 2. The exercise apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein the fixing member is provided on the connection member for movement and the fixing member is fitted to both of the connection member and the first motion provider while the fixing member is moved to the first position and is fitted to both of the connection member and the second motion provider while the fixing member is moved to the second position.
 3. The exercise apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein the first motion provider has a resting portion and while the fixing member moves to the first position, the connection member runs to the resting portion and rests on resting portion.
 4. The exercise apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein the connection member is provided with a pedal.
 5. The exercise apparatus as defined in claim 4, wherein the fixing member has a gap and the pedal has a post running through the gap to be fixed to the connection member.
 6. The exercise apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein the first motion provider has a parallelogram linkages mechanism, which the connection member is pivoted on a linkage of the parallelogram linkages mechanism, and the second motion provider has a flywheel and a crank, which the connection member is pivoted on the crank.
 7. An exercise apparatus, comprising: a frame; a first motion provider mounted on the frame to provide a first path of motion; a second motion provider mounted on the frame to provide a second path of motion; two connection members; two first jointers pivoting the connection members on the first motion provider; two second jointers pivoting the connection members on the second motion provider, and two fixing member to be selectively fixing the first jointers or the second jointers, wherein the connection members are fixed to the first motion provider while the first jointers are fixed and the connection members are fixed to the second motion provider while the second jointers are fixed; wherein the connection member moves along a third path of motion while the fixing member is moved to the first position and the connection member moves along a fourth path of motion while the fixing member is moved to the second position.
 8. The exercise apparatus as defined in claim 7, wherein the fixing member are tubular members fitted to the connection members for movement and the fixing members are moved to cross the first jointers and to be fitted to both of the connection members and the first motion provider and are moved to cross the second jointers and to be fitted to both of the connection member and the second motion provider.
 9. The exercise apparatus as defined in claim 7, wherein the first motion provider has two resting portions and while the second jointers are not fixed by the fixing members, the connection members rest on the resting portion.
 10. The exercise apparatus as defined in claim 7, wherein each of the connection members are provided with a pedal.
 11. The exercise apparatus as defined in claim 10, wherein each of the fixing members have a gap and each of the pedals have a post running through the gaps to be fixed to the connection members respectively.
 12. The exercise apparatus as defined in claim 7, wherein the first motion provider has two sets of parallelogram linkages mechanisms, which the connection members are pivoted on a linkage of each of the parallelogram linkages mechanisms respectively, and the second motion provider has a flywheel and two cranks, which the connection members are pivoted on the cranks respectively.
 13. An exercise apparatus, comprising: a frame; a first motion provider mounted on the frame to provide a first path of motion; a second motion provider mounted on the frame to provide a second path of motion; a connection member pivoted on the first motion provider and on the second motion provider respectively, and means for fixing the connection member to the first motion provider, in which the connection member still is pivoted on the second motion provider and for fixing the connection member to the second motion provider, in which the connection member is still pivoted on the first motion provider. 